Will You Be There?
by Maddy Lake Deep
Summary: Chloe finds love in the unlikeliest person. Spoilers, 'what if' scene during Day 3, but takes place mostly post season 3. JackChloe. Please R&R!
1. Trust

**Title: **_Will You Be There?_

**Author:** _Maddy Lake Deep_

**Pairing:** Jack/Chloe

**Rating:** PG-13

**Category:** Angst/romance

**Summary:** Chloe finds love in the unlikeliest person.

**Spoilers:** 'What if' scene during season three.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters in '24' only Mike is my creation.

**Author's note: **_I've never written '24' fanfiction. This is my first Jack/Chloe story. Because it's my first and not beta'd, I would really appreciate any feedback and gentle constructive criticism. Also, I'm moving this weekend and hope to have chapter two posted by next week._

* * *

**Chapter one:** _Trust_

"_You have to stop calling me here," Chloe O'Brian demanded on the phone. Her eyes fleeted to Kim and the others at CTU working endlessly about the 'virus' situation. And now that Stephen Saunders was dead, inwardly Chloe had grown weary at the frantic search of who carried the last vials, the person Saunders could identify. And now there was more on her plate she desperately didn't need at the moment. "I can't talk about this—not now," Chloe shouted and when her shouting caught Jack Bauer's attention, he halted not far from her desk. She noted Jack's concern and as he started toward her, Chloe lowered her voice. "This isn't a good time. I'll call you back." She quickly hung up and glanced nervously at Jack standing beside her desk. _

"_Chloe, we need to talk."_

_O'Brian sighed irritably. She then decided to follow Jack where they could have privacy in one of the halls. _

"_What's going on?" Jack asked._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Are you being harassed by someone?"_

_Chloe frowned, uneasy about his intrusive questions, and yet, there was a part of her that wanted him to be concerned…to care about her. "What makes you think I'm being harassed?"_

"_I hear your conversations on the phone. And it sounds like you're being harassed."_

"_Jack, right now the important thing is finding those vials. Chase is waiting for you and I don't understand why we're having this conversation."_

_Bauer leaned closer and stared intently into her brown eyes. "Chloe, you know you can trust me. Before I go, I just wanna make sure you're all right."_

_She huffed and at the moment, Chloe struggled to say what she wanted to keep secret; but while staring into Jack's pleading eyes, she could no longer hide what was going on. "It's Mike, my ex-boyfriend. He keeps calling me and I told him it's over between us. But it doesn't matter what I say."_

_Jack peeked over Chloe's shoulder at Chase and the other agents ready to leave. His attention darted back to Chloe. "I'm sorry about what you're going through with Mike. If he continues to harass you, I wanna know, okay?"_

_Surprised, Chloe stared at him briefly and after nodding, she cherished his smile._

His smile…she still cherished it while sitting on her sofa at home. Chloe would never forget the conversation they had that day; the genuine concern in his voice.

**"_Chloe, you know you can trust me."_**

She was usually cautious about whom to _trust_, and not only at CTU. When meeting Mike, Chloe thought he was the greatest person. He actually loved her. She let down her guard, let herself fall in love. After six months, he suddenly changed. First he verbally abused her, then physically.

_**You lied to me, Mike. Everything…lies.**_

Could she trust anyone again? Or fall in love? Chloe tried to deny reality of the situation…she grew to trust Jack more than anyone and was falling in love with him…something she never expected to happen. It frightened her to be hurt by someone else. Chloe knew about the pain Jack still suffered after Teri's death; blaming himself for what happened, his addiction to heroin and finally getting revenge when he killed Nina. Would he be able to move on and love again, especially someone like her? What she found frustrating about this whole thing…was it her imagination or did Jack feel the same way?

Chloe sighed; so many questions taunting relentlessly while her face fell forward onto her hands. She wanted to rest after the virus threat had been resolved a few months ago, but all Chloe could think about was Jack. The first time she came to work at CTU and met him, he was hard edged and stoic, she wondered how he could have loved anyone; then as she had grown closer to him, Chloe saw the sensitive, caring part of Jack. It was there. He only tried to keep it hidden along with everything else after Teri's death, trying to keep himself in control while doing his job.

Three quick knocks pummeled against the door and startled Chloe out of her thoughts. She looked up, wondering who it was. Jack? No. He would call before coming over. Clad in a white tank top and jeans, she stood from the sofa and walked out into the small foyer. O'Brian silently stood at the door and listened. There were two more pounding knocks and then…

"Chloe! C'mon, I know you're in there. Please, let me in so we can talk."

She shuddered at the sound of Mike's gentle but deceiving voice and even then, Chloe wondered if he had known she was there, as if he could hear her racing heart.

"Chloe, I don't want to hurt you. All I want is to talk."

Frustrated and confused, Chloe uttered no words but continued to stand quietly at the door. Should she believe him? Was he really serious about wanting to change? Though she had feelings for Jack, at the moment, she suddenly thought it silly to think they would ever be together. They were only friends…something she had to accept. Slowly, her hand turned the knob and she opened the door.

"Hey," said Mike with a lopsided grin.

She warily eyed her lanky ex-boyfriend standing outside in the crimson light of the setting sun. The rays caught his short curly hair, brightening it from light brown to a soft red.

"Can I come in?"

Chloe nodded and reluctantly allowed him inside. Shutting the door, she followed him into the living room.

"Why didn't you return my calls?"

"Mike, I told you, when I'm working I don't have time to talk."

He smirked and shook his head. "You're lying. You just wanted to avoid me."

"I wasn't avoiding you. Why can't you understand that?" Agitated and regretting her decision to let him in, she stormed away from Mike and stopped short by his hand. "I thought you wanted to talk?" she said. Fear returned; seizing her within its grasp like Mike had done with her arm.

"I want us to be together again."

"Let go," she demanded.

He ignored her. "But I know that's not what you want."

"Mike, let go!"

He released her arm and grinned. "See, I promised I wouldn't hurt you."

Terrified, Chloe stepped backwards.

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom if that's okay with you." Despite Mike's calm demeanor, Chloe noted the anger in his hazel eyes and knew what had to be done. She hurried upstairs to her bedroom and locked the door. Frantic, she looked helplessly around the room. There was no gun, nothing to protect herself—only the bathroom where there had been an open window. Chloe froze and listened. Footsteps slowly clambered the stairs.

* * *

Inside his home, Jack sat at the kitchen table. He leaned back against the chair with arms crossed against his short sleeve black T-shirt. Restless, Jack leaned forward, resting his elbows along with locked hands upon his jeans. He blue eyes stared out into the open space of the kitchen. His mind burdened with the events that had transpired and his job at CTU. His heroin addiction was still being investigated, and though he wanted to believe it wouldn't affect his job, the possibility of staying at CTU had grown more and more unlikely. Bauer had to get his mind on something else. Looking down at his cell phone that lay on the table, he picked it up and dialed Chloe's number.

Chloe flinched at the sudden ringing of the phone. Her eyes shifted frightfully to the door, knowing Mike could hear it as he was coming upstairs. She bit her bottom lip and averted her attention back to the cell phone insisting she answer it. Chloe plopped down onto the bed. Grasping the phone, she saw Jack's number and immediately answered. "Jack!"

"Chloe, I'm sorry to bother you. I just wanted to know if you were all right."

She hesitated when Mike's footsteps halted at the door.

"Chloe?" said Jack.

"I'm—I'm okay."

"No, you're not. Something's wrong."

Suddenly what sounded like a fist hammered against the door.

"Chloe!" Mike barked.

"Leave me alone," she shouted back. And then O'Brian heard something else that made her shudder, something jabbing into the door…a knife maybe? Chloe leapt from the bed with the phone gripped in her hand as she stumbled backwards to the bathroom.

"Chloe!" Jack screamed through the phone. "What's going on?"

"It's Mike," she managed to say and when he had broken the lock, O'Brian panicked, dropped the phone and ran into the bathroom.

Mike barged inside. He knew she was hiding in the bathroom but before going there, he stopped. His eyes fell to the phone on the floor and listened to a voice shouting…

"Chloe!"

**TBC**


	2. Stay with me

A/N:_ I know this is a short chapter but I wanted to write it this way. I promise the next one will be longer. Thanks again to all those who reviewed and I hope you continue to enjoy this story! Let me know what you think. _

**Chapter two:** _Stay with me_

* * *

"Chloe!" Jack bellowed after hearing a sudden dial tone. An alarming chill crept through him. Flooded with anger at not being there to help Chloe, not knowing what to expect, he had to shove aside the helplessness to do whatever he could…and quick. Jack bolted upstairs to his bedroom and as he hurried back down, he loaded the gun with ammunition, then after tucking it inside his arm holster he threw on a denim jacket. Leaving the house, Bauer quickened his pace toward the SUV. Hastening inside, Jack didn't waste anytime as he backed the vehicle out of the driveway. Tires screamed. The agent couldn't care less who heard as he sped away from his house and down the street.

Jack wasn't far from Chloe's home, but he might as well have been very far away when getting stuck in traffic…not major but in this situation, even minor traffic was a nightmare. "C'mon!" he shouted, hitting the steering wheel. Fear, uncertainty and tension hardened his face. Jack's heart had no time to relax, hammering against his chest with each frantic second. Every now and again he swerved his car into another lane, hoping that one would get him there faster but to no prevail. A frustrated sigh escaped Jack's lips and his sweaty hands grasped the wheel.

Chloe.

Bauer recalled the first time she worked at CTU. He admitted to himself that she wasn't the easiest person to get along with. What annoyed him were her quirks he just could not understand. Early in the day of the 'virus' threat, Chloe didn't know about his heroin addiction. Jack was extremely agitated and screamed at O'Brian, to the point of even firing her if she didn't do her job the way it should be done.

"_You didn't know what I was going through,"_ he thought to himself. "_I said I was sorry but you deserved a better apology."_ Jack wondered why he thought about that now. Guilt stalked him, even after months had gone by since then, he still felt guilty. Yes, she had a certain way about her, and it surprised him when getting to know her better, he had grown to care about Chloe more than he expected. Maybe it was because of that _certain _way about her…a woman unlike anyone he had ever known. Now, Jack feared she was kidnapped or worse…dead.

Flustered, he laid his forehead against the wheel.

"_Chloe, I wanted you to know…"_

Suddenly the traffic cleared. As Jack slowly drove, he peeked out the passenger window to see what the delay had been about—an accident. One car was mangled on the right side while the other…its front had been demolished horribly. After getting a look at what was going on, he stomped his foot on the accelerator and breezed down the lane.

When arriving at Chloe's home, Jack's SUV screeched to a halt. He grabbed his gun out of the holster, slammed the car door and proceeded slowly, carefully toward the house. Bauer held up the gun and twined his fingers around it as he clambered a few cobblestone steps that lead to the door. He stood on the side and again, Jack carefully turned the knob to see if the door was locked but to his surprise, it wasn't. He continued, snaking through the open door and holding his gun out in front of him. His eyes scanned the living room like the professional he was. Too quiet. It seemed only his racing heart could be heard as he tiptoed toward the stairs.

"_Am I too late?"_

Jack eased up the steps, making sure he was quiet as possible until stopping short near Chloe's bedroom. There were deep scars near the broken lock, as if someone dug inside with a knife. He thought he heard a voice. Bauer stood on the side and peeked in to the slightly ajar door. In a chair near the bathroom sat Mike staring at fresh blood on his knife.

"Chloe, I don't know why you had to be so stubborn. We could have worked it out. You must enjoy pain because I'm coming back in."

As Mike stood from the chair, Jack angrily stormed inside. "Get down on the floor!" he demanded, aiming the gun at Mike with a steady hand.

Mike ignored Jack's demands. Keeping his fingers gripped around the knife. In his eyes that narrowed, Jack caught an evident bitterness toward him. "It's because of you. That's why she stayed away from me!"

"Get down on the floor, now!"

Mike shook his head and as he attempted to throw the knife, Bauer fired twice…as if everything was slow motion in Jack's eyes, he watched Mike plummet to the floor. His chest had already been a bloody mess. Death held his eyes open. Jack sauntered toward Mike, standing over his body. His mouth, suddenly dry and Bauer swallowed hard when looking up at the half closed bathroom door.

"Chloe?" he said, barely audible out of fear of the unexpected. Jack cringed at an eerie silence. Was she okay? The blood on Mike's knife, recalling what he had said…

"_**You must enjoy pain because I'm coming back in."**_

It was then, Jack flung the door open. His eyes wide with fear—what he had been afraid to face again. There on the tiled floor lay Chloe in a pool of blood. He saw the injuries on her arm and on the side of her stomach. Flashbacks of Teri haunted him again, seeing his wife tied to the chair. Shot. Dead. There was absolutely nothing he could have done.

"Chloe," Jack shouted. Swiftly plunging his gun back into the holster, he collapsed beside Chloe and gently hoisted her into his arms. O'Brian's eyes fluttered open as she appeared to be slipping in and out of consciousness.

"Jack," she said weakly.

"Chloe, stay with me."

"Y-you came--,"

"Yeah, I'm here."

She choked and gasped.

"Help will be here soon." He pushed back a few strands of blood specked hair away from her eyes. "I just need you to stay with me."

Unconsciousness had taken Chloe and he embraced her closer to him.

It seemed to Jack an eternity when the EMS finally arrived. He didn't want to leave Chloe and demanded to ride with her inside the ambulance. Worried, Bauer watched his best friend as she lay on the gurney. An oxygen mask covered her mouth and the EMS workers were doing all they could to keep her alive after losing a lot of blood. Sirens wailed and there was not one minute lost as the ambulance kept its swift course on the highway. When reaching a nearby memorial hospital, Jack's eyes fleeted to one of the EMS workers bending over Chloe.

"We're losing her!"

"_No," _Jack cried to himself. _"No!"_ He followed them out of the ambulance, then barging inside the ER. As he hurried by her side, Jack looked down and noted her lungs begging for air. "Chloe!" Jack faltered at the OR doors. Again, there was nothing he could do but watch helplessly as they hastened the gurney inside. Not knowing what to do with himself, he paced around until plopping down onto one of the leather chairs. Dried blood stained his jacket and some had been smeared on his jeans. Bauer's fingers squeezed his eyes and when opening them again, he leaned his head back against the chair. Thoughts taunted the agent and no matter how hard he tried to fight them, they insisted on antagonizing him.

"_I should've known this would happen. She told me Mike was harassing her."_ Jack paused in his thoughts and… "Dammit!" he said aloud and shut his eyes; straining the tears that struggled to be free. _"This can't happen again." _

Jack promised Teri she would be safe.

He promised Chloe she would be safe.

At the moment, she was slipping away from him.

His eyes stayed shut and all he managed to utter was…

"Please, stay with me."

**TBC**


	3. Lost

**A/N**: _Again, I'm very grateful for the reviews and it's your feedback that has been encouraging me to continue this story. The next chapter will be the last but for now, I hope you enjoy this one. While working on it I've been exhausted and sick with a cold so I hope it's good. _

* * *

**Chapter three:** _Lost_

Jack stood above the casket surrounded by numerous flowers. They were cradled gently in the warm sunlight; a light breeze rocked them every now and again. When Bauer tried leaving, he could not.

Frozen.

Numb.

Disbelief.

"_Why?" _

Jack stared unblinking at the casket, but when he could no longer fight the reflex to blink, he squeezed his eyes again as tears threatened to peek out from the corners.

"_Chloe,"_ he said to himself, _"I never thought I would lose you."_

Jack bowed his head. His eyes remained shut. He was exhausted…tired of the tragedies. Losing Teri, his feelings for Nina Myers and her unexpected betrayal; and now Chloe. The 'tough-in-control-Jack' everyone had known him to be, but inside he didn't know how much more he could take.

"Jack?"

As if shoved out of a trance, his eyes snapped open at a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Michelle Dessler walking up to him.

"Michelle," he said sadly.

She reached out and comforted him with a brief squeeze on his arm. "Jack, I know you think you didn't do enough for Chloe but you did."

"I could've done more. I knew she was being harassed."

"Don't do this to yourself."

Jack looked down at the casket again. His facial muscles tightened angrily.

Michelle tilted her head toward him, trying to get his attention. "Jack?"

Bauer ignored her and insisted on gazing stone-faced at the casket.

"Jack?"

Bauer woke with a start in the chair he was sitting in. He looked around in confusion at the hospital room. The fog had cleared and he realized the voice wasn't Michelle calling him but Chloe who lay in the bed beside him. "Chloe?"

"I was watching you," she said groggily. "Bad dream?"

Jack stared at her for a moment; then he nodded.

"You should go home and rest."

"No, I'm okay."

"You're not okay, Jack. It's because of me you're here and having bad dreams."

He leaned closer to her. "Don't blame yourself. What happened wasn't your fault and I want to be here."

Chloe looked away from him and stared out into the open space ahead. She frowned and for a moment it seemed she wanted to cry. Instead, she sighed and pursed her lips. "I don't know what I was thinking. I really believed Mike loved me, even when he acted like a moron, I still believed him. I was so stupid."

"You're not stupid," said Jack soothingly.

Chloe rolled her eyes and gave Jack a 'how-could-I-forget' expression. "You thought the same thing about Nina. You believed she cared about you and look what happened. I want you to know I still feel bad about that."

As usual, Jack found himself caught by surprise at her awkward bluntness, but instead of being annoyed, he let it go and smiled. Yes, he smiled…happy to see her alive. "I'm glad to know you care."

"I've always felt bad about that and--," she hesitated and nervously looked away from him.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah?" she said, gazing at the window.

"I care about you, too."

She gave him her attention again. "I thought you didn't like me. Everyone else at CTU doesn't like me."

"Chloe, you're one of the few people I can trust. What do you think that means?"

She didn't expect that answer. Brief silence wedged between them until Chloe broke the silence. "I never thought you would, well…trust me."

"I do," said Jack sincerely.

She managed to smile despite the morphine hitting her again. "Thanks for your help," O'Brian told him, her voice slurred. "I would be dead right now if you didn't come." Chloe's eyes were half-closed.

"Get some rest," said Jack. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She slowly nodded and then sleep had silenced her. Jack stayed for a while, watching her sleep. He never saw her sleep and a contented smile grew in the corners of his lips. It pleased him to see her sleeping peacefully, to know that she was indeed safe.

* * *

Jack was there with Chloe in the hospital until the day she was released. O'Brian appreciated every moment he had spent with her. She voiced her appreciation to him but wanted Jack to know more. And every time Chloe tried to muster the courage to tell him how she really felt, again she feared making a fool out of herself. It's been a month now since she had been in the hospital. Inside her bedroom, the June sun welcomed Chloe with its warmth, as if comforting her, and yet she still felt a chill. The room had been quite warm but inwardly she shivered.

Chloe stood in front of a long oval cherry wood mirror. She gazed back at the reflection of silky lavender shorts and nothing else on but a lavender bra. Her expression morphed from fear, anger to repulsion at the scars on her arm and on her left side. And though Mike was dead, she seethed at the thought of him.

**_I hate you! Look at what you've done to me!_**

She continued to watch herself and then…

"_**Chloe."**_

O'Brian flinched at the cryptic whisper of Mike's voice. Her eyes looked around frightfully until they halted at the bathroom.

The bathroom.

Suddenly, Chloe grabbed her phone off the lamp table and ran out of the bedroom. Outside near the stairs, she fell back against the wall. Nausea rolled in her stomach at the memories of what happened. Fighting from losing her lunch, she breathed deeply and calmed down. Once the nausea passed, Chloe dialed a familiar number. It rang a few times and just when she feared no answer…

"Bauer."

"Jack."

"Chloe? Are you all right?"

"I need to talk to you about something, but not on the phone. Can you come over?"

"Okay. I'll be there."

* * *

Inside the foyer, Chloe stopped at another mirror where she finished buttoning her pink floral gray cardigan. Her eyes darted up to the necklace she often wore. It was lopsided, most likely from rushing nervously and then she straightened it. Instead of wearing her blonde hair tied back, she added some hair gel and let it free, flowing down in loose waves onto her shoulders. The voices viciously assaulted her again…

**_What are you doing? Jack doesn't care about you in that way. Why would he want you? Think about it…Teri was beautiful and so was Nina. And don't forget Kate Warner. If you wanna make a fool out of yourself, then go ahead. Mike already tricked you. And now you're thinking Jack is interested? Of all people, Chloe, of all people…Jack?_**

"Stop it!" she yelled at her reflection of a woman whom no matter what she did or how smart she was, Chloe still felt empty. Lost. She spun around when hearing Jack's vehicle outside the house. Opening the door, he stood there, taking off his sunglasses and smiling. She stared at him for a moment. Something she had often done at CTU when he hadn't noticed. Chloe took in every detail…from his blue eyes she always admired to the short sleeve Henley shirt of the same color and denim jeans. She greeted him with a smile of her own. "Come in."

Once he was inside, she motioned her hand toward the burgundy futon sofa where Jack sat down.

"Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

She noted his surprised expression. "What?" said Chloe, as if she hadn't known.

"You look different."

"It's my hair. I wanted to do something different and so--," she shrugged, not knowing what to say next.

"It's—nice."

Sensing a bit of uneasiness in his voice, Chloe didn't know whether to accept his compliment as a positive or negative. "You really like it?"

"Yeah," he answered, smiling this time. "It looks great."

Excited at his reply, but not wanting to act giddy, she simply said, "Thanks," and sat beside him. "I was wondering…is it possible you'll still keep your job at CTU? You know, after what they found out about the heroin? I mean, how long is this investigation going to take?"

"I don't know," he said, uncomfortable again. His eyes fell briefly to the floor. Puzzled, he looked up at Chloe. "You didn't ask me over here to discuss my future at CTU. On the phone, whatever you wanted to talk about sounded urgent."

Chloe bit her bottom lip and could not hide the fear that tormented her since leaving the hospital.

He leaned closer to her. "What's wrong?"

Flustered, Chloe breathed and decided to tell him the truth. "When I left the hospital and coming back here, I thought I would be okay. I was for a while but then it hit me—everything that happened. Sometimes I can't sleep in my room and I'll sleep down here. Jack, he's dead but I'm still afraid."

"I know," Jack answered softly. He then pulled her into his soothing embrace. Bauer held her for a while until breaking away from the hug. "If you want, I can stay here tonight."

Stunned at his suggestion, her lips parted a little. Chloe struggled with the words that were momentarily frozen in her mind; and not wanting to keep him wondering if what he had said was or wasn't a good idea, she had to quickly say something. "You've done enough for me, Jack. I've already ruined your time to be alone. I know that's what you needed after--,"

"Chloe," he cut in. "It's okay. I don't mind."

Silenced by his persistence, she allowed him to stay with a nod.

* * *

Jack didn't need to open the futon; it had been wide enough for him to sleep comfortably. As he lay upon it, he suddenly sensed he wasn't alone. He perked his head up and looked around to see Chloe standing beneath the arch that led out into the hall. Jack wondered how long she stood there watching him.

"Good night," she said, smiling awkwardly.

"Good night," he replied and when she had gone upstairs, Jack rested his head back onto the futon. He enjoyed the time spent with her while they ate dinner and they even laughed together, something he desperately needed after so much he had endured over the past years. While she ate, Bauer found himself stealing a quick glance at Chloe. He couldn't stop thinking about how she looked with her hair wavy and untied. She was not only very intelligent, but beautiful outside and inwardly. Sleep came with its powerful persuasion. Unable to resist, he drifted off into a deep slumber.

The memories…they would not stop, battering Jack relentlessly. Nina, when he shot her and made sure she was dead. Killing Chappelle…something he unfortunately had to live with for the rest of his life. The heroin that numbed the pain. The times he had been captured and tortured viciously. Teri…she would be safe at CTU. Instead of coming back to hold her in her arms again, he held her lifeless body. Their unborn child he would never know. So many dead people; their faces he tried to forget but they persisted in haunting him…

Jack bolted upright from the futon. He cried out. His face damp with beads of hot sweat, and his chest rose and fell with each frantic breath he took. Tired of the nightmares, the loneliness and lost in what felt like hell, he leapt from the cushions, ran into the dimly-lit hall and inside another bathroom on the first floor.

Jack's scream had jolted Chloe out of a peaceful sleep she didn't get much of since the traumatic event. Immediately she swung a satin pink robe around her form barely naked except for the lavender bra and panties. O'Brian rushed downstairs and when she noticed Jack wasn't sleeping on the futon, she wondered where he could be until hearing water running inside the bathroom. Chloe headed toward the half closed door and hesitated. She decided to knock but her fist stopped midway.

"Jack?"

No answer and then came a harried reply, "Yeah?"

"You okay? Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Chloe slowly opened the door. Her eyes wide with profound concern at the agent sitting on the beige marbled floor. His head lay against the wall and from what she saw; water had been splashed on his face. "Jack!" Chloe knelt beside him. He trembled and smudged some tears from beneath his eyes.

"More bad dreams?"

He nodded.

Chloe absent-mindedly circled her arms around Jack. And when she felt him tighten his embrace around her, she suddenly realized what she had done without thinking. Uncomfortable, she broke away from the hug. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? About what?"

"I shouldn't have hugged you like that."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

Bauer reached out and lightly caressed her hair. She flinched at his touch.

"Jack," she whispered.

He laid his forehead against hers. "I need you."

Shaking, she told him, "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?" Jack brushed his fingers along her neck and down to her cleavage.

"Because," she whispered again. Distracted by his gentle touch, she shut her eyes and shivered.

"Chloe," he said softly while gazing at her lips. "I want to be with you."

It was useless. Although it frightened Chloe to fall in love again, she could no longer deny her feelings for him. "I wanna be with you, too."

Their lips played with each other…inching closer, pulling back until they both gave in to the kiss that for months had only been a fantasy. Jack liked what he tasted and had taken more of her lips into his own.

"_Is this really happening?"_ Chloe thought. _"Oh God, Oh God."_ She allowed him to untie her robe and this time his lips hungrily explored her neck and teasingly kissed their way down to her cleavage. Chloe slid her fingers through the back of his blonde hair and pushed his face closer against her breasts. When he looked up at her and she gazed into his eyes, Chloe knew where he wanted to go…

The bedroom.

It wasn't pitch darkness. Chloe could still see Jack as a shadow in the brilliant moonlight peering through the window. She felt his lips taking their time and exploring along her naked body. As his lips slid down below her navel, Chloe shuddered, passionately grasping his hands. Her eyes rolled shut. Her thoughts halted. She would be quiet. She would be still…and let him love her.

* * *

Chloe's eyes fluttered open and instead of the moon, she had been greeted by sunlight peeking through white laced curtains. Jack lay behind her, cradling O'Brian in his arms. He stirred and when she turned to face him, he was awake.

Jack smiled. "Good morning."

Chloe snuggled closer. Smiling back, she said, "Good morning."

He tenderly brushed back strands of her hair and kissed Chloe's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel--," Chloe paused, staring at him in disbelief. She then went on to say, "I feel great!"

"Yeah?"

Her face perked with a wide grin while she nodded.

Jack glided his fingers along her cheek. "Me, too." Bauer's lips begged for hers again and they kissed ardently. Tired of the loneliness, stress from working at CTU, feeling lost; they needed each other once more. But Chloe, overwhelmed with sudden reluctance had pulled away from his kiss.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just need to use the bathroom." Holding the sheet against her body (at the same time, not wanting him to see her scars), Chloe grabbed her robe and quickly tied it around her petite form. She stood, walking barefoot toward the bathroom. Her hand reached for the knob and hesitated. Chloe's fingers quivered.

"I—I can't." She shook her head then screaming, "I can't!" Chloe ran back to Jack and snuggled into his arms again.

"Chloe, it's okay," he whispered soothingly. "I know you're still afraid and it won't be easy. You need time before you can go back in there."

She clung onto him. It wasn't only because of her fear of what happened in the bathroom. Yes, she needed to use it, and it was also the place where she needed to think for a while. Bauer couldn't see the worry and regret on her face.

"_Jack,"_ she said to herself. _"I love you, but last night…we're going too fast. Are you sure you wanna be with me? Are you?"_

**TBC**


	4. Doubt

**A/N: **_Ok, everyone, this is it…the final chapter! Thank you so much for reading this story and leaving reviews that made me very happy. I apologize for writing a short chapter but I've also been very busy. Will there be more J/C stories…yes! I just can't resist writing about them!_

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**Chapter four:** _Doubt_

Jack sat in his car parked outside Chloe's home. Before getting out, and exhausted of numerous thoughts inflicting mental torture since three weeks ago—that night when they desperately needed each other, Jack's head fell back against the top of the seat. He had known Chloe wasn't the same. At times it seemed she only pretended to be happy and lately he hadn't been blind to her distance. Now he had regrets about that night (not that he didn't want to be with Chloe), but maybe he pushed it too far, too soon. She wasn't ready, especially after what happened with Mike. What about himself? Jack thought he was ready after meeting Kate. He didn't want to make the same mistake with Chloe and yet a part of him felt this was different. That hadn't been the only thing troubling Jack. He needed to tell her something, and he had a feeling she wouldn't be thrilled to hear it.

Jack couldn't hide in his car all day and avoid the situation. It was then he decided to leave the SUV and headed toward her house. He knocked and sudden anxiety tugged at him.

"_What if she doesn't want to see me?"_

He breathed with relief when Chloe slowly opened the door and crossed tense arms against her white tank top.

"Jack?' Her hair limped down onto her shoulders.

Smiling sheepishly, he replied, "I needed to see you."

Silent, Chloe opened the door wider for him to come inside. He sat down on the futon and when she joined beside him, Jack mentally shoved himself to tell her what had been on his mind. He then was startled by Chloe's sudden interruption.

"I'm sorry. I know you think I've been acting kinda weird lately since that—night." She sighed and went on. "I wanna be with you, Jack but don't you think we're going too fast?"

Jack nodded. "You're right, we need more time."

Chloe studied him closely. His face was damp with sweat and he breathed erratically. "You're still going through withdrawals."

"Yes, and it's one of the reasons why we have to be careful. I need more time to get through this. I don't want to hurt you and…I'm sorry, Chloe. The last thing I want is to hurt you after everything that's happened."

Chloe knew he had been going through withdrawals again, but it seemed like he was struggling with another matter. By then, she grew alarmed. Her eyes narrowed. "It's not only the withdrawals…there's something else."

"Erin Driscoll has taken my place at CTU. I'm sure you know that."

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean you can't work there anymore."

Feeling like crap from the withdrawals and frustrated about everything, he sighed irritably. "Chloe," Jack snapped. "Erin fired me."

"What?" She halted, shocked at what he told her and continued on. "It's not fair. After everything you've done? If it weren't for you, who knows where those vials would be now? The heroin…it happened because you were undercover--,"

"No!" he snapped again. His face caved into his hands. Jack angrily wiped beads of sweat off his face and then he looked up at Chloe. "It happened because _I_ wanted it." Chloe eyed him nervously, not knowing what to say after that. Jack waited for her response and then he went on. This time his voice was softer. "I had to tell you the truth because I want us to be honest with each other."

"I know," she said. "And it doesn't change the way I feel about you."

Relieved, Jack smiled and appreciated her understanding (what he loved about her). He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

Chloe asked, "Where will you be working?"

Jack hesitated. It's the one thing he didn't want to tell her but he had no choice. "In DC; I'll be working for James Heller."

The worried expression crept back onto Chloe's face. "The Secretary of Defense?"

"Yeah," he barely uttered with a bit of disappointment—disappointed he would no longer work at CTU, and concerned at Chloe's evident worry in her voice. What he had been unaware of was that she hadn't been only concerned about him leaving, but James Heller had a daughter, a very beautiful daughter—Audrey Raines. Jack sensed Chloe's uneasiness and gently took her hands into his own. "I don't want you to worry about anything. I'll be in DC, but that doesn't mean we won't keep in touch or see each other."

Chloe's eyes fell away from him, burdened with sudden uncertainty. "I know you promised we'll keep in touch but--," she let out a deep sigh, frowned and met his gaze again. "Will you be there for me?"

He leaned closer, squeezing her hands tenderly. "Yes," Jack stated with confidence he hoped calmed her fears. "It doesn't matter where I am, I'll be there for you." Bauer pulled her into his arms and gave Chloe a snug embrace. He stopped to look at her with a smile. Again their lips parted, tasting more of each other and before it had gone any further, they broke away, holding one another instead.

"Chloe, I'm falling in love with you."

Overwhelmed with shock at what she never thought possible, frozen at what she heard him say, at the moment O'Brian could only offer an awkward smile; her eyes fell onto her lap. Jack lifted her chin so that they stared at one another again.

"I'm falling in love with you, too." She hugged Jack's face in her hands and then Chloe laid her forehead against his.

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Since that day, Jack had two weeks to spend with Chloe and then came the morning when he had to leave for Washington. The Secret Service waited, parked in a black vehicle. Jack stepped out of his house with luggage in both hands. And as he approached the vehicle, he was startled by someone rushing out of another car.

"Jack!"

"Chloe?" he said, setting the luggage onto the ground.

She closed the space between them and smiled. A warm breeze fanned Chloe's blonde hair away from her face. "I had to see you before you left."

Jack circled his arms around O'Brian, pulling her tightly against him. He whispered in her ear. "I'll call you." Chloe tightened her embrace, not wanting to let go and when she peered up at him, his goodbye had been a brief kiss on her lips. Slowly, she let him go and watched as he picked up his luggage. He stepped backwards, keeping his eyes on her; then one of the Secret Service agents opened the car door. Chloe continued to watch him as he disappeared inside the vehicle, recalling what he promised…

"_**I'll call you."**_

The car started down the street. Chloe's cell phone chimed inside her pocketbook. She opened it, digging inside until grasping the phone in her hand. Her eyes still locked on the car, she paid no attention to who was calling.

"Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello?"

Another eerie silence until…click.

Puzzled, Chloe looked down at the phone and when she pressed one of the buttons to see who called, her eyes widened in horror at what she hadn't expected to see…Mike's number.

"No," she mumbled. "It can't be. You're dead." Chloe's eyes darted from the phone; then back to the Secret Service car she could still see but barely. There had to be a logical explanation. There had to be. Chloe tried to shrug it away and ignore her fear, but now, more than ever she had wished Jack didn't leave.

He was gone.

She stood there…bewildered, trembling.

And though he could not hear, she shouted…

"Jack!"

**End**

**A/N:** Now do you really think it's the end? Of course not, I'm writing a sequel!


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